Gleeman Bob writes: this is the second part of a short story so if you haven't read 'The Tale of the Nightwatcher' you should probably head back to chapter 2 and do so or it won't make much sense. don't worry, neither story is very long! hope you enjoy and...
Walk in the Light!
"Well?" hissed the evil Snake Monster, "do you give up?"
"No!" answered the Nightwatcher, "I am still thinking about it..."
"You have had long enough! What iss the ansswer?"
"Hmm... yellow... pancakes... lemons? Yes, that's it – the answer to your riddle is; 'lemons!' "
"Curssess!" cursed the Snake Monster, "I did not think you would get that one..."
"My turn!" declared the Nightwatcher, because it was. He considered his next question awhile, then grinned with his pointy teeth and raised a dark claw. "Tell me this if you can, slimy snake monster; when last I travelled to M'Alvydes I met a mouse with seven brides, each these mice had thirteen lice, so counting mouses, spouses and louses, how many travelled to M'Alvydes?"
"Hmm," mused the evil Snake Monster, thinking about it, "eight multiplied by thirteen, pluss the eight micess and counting you alsso, whatever you are... makess one-hundred and thirteen! Eassy!"
"Wrong, foolish serpent – one! Only I was travelling there, I did not say that the mice and the lice were!" And the Nightwatcher laughed triumphantly, his blue, glowing eyes twinkling.
"Cursse you, Nightwatcher," hissed the Snake Monster, "you tricked me!"
"Did not! I merely bested you in a game of wits, so there."
"Huh. Well, I ssuposse that you did win," muttered the Snake Monster grudgingly, seeing that he could not wriggle out of it, "sso assk of me a boon, Nightwatcher..."
"Very well, here is my boon, Snake Monster; I wish for you to crawl back to your lair deep beneath the ground where the sun never shines – and this time I want you to stay there! No more sneaking up at night to disturb the sleep of good and well-behaved Aiel children with your nasty hissing!"
"Sssss!" went the Snake Monster angrily, but he was a monstrosity of his word, so with a last glare, he turned, slithered away... and was seen nevermore in the world of men.
extract taken from – 'The Nightwatcher and the Snake Monster' [author unknown]
The Tale of the Nightwatcher II
Kiam Lopiang, Aes Sedai, did not trouble to wait for the armoured jumper to land. When the flying transport's forward momentum faltered and it began to hover, she embraced saidar and stepped out into the open air above the ambush site. As she negated the effects of gravity with her Talent of Flight, drifting down toward the armoured jo-cars pulled up before the crude barricade of fallen logs that blocked the road, she carefully scanned her surroundings for signs of life, movement, but saw nothing. Her boots settled to the ground and moments later, the jumper touched down behind, the squad of armed and armoured Warmen leaping out and surrounding her.
Kiam wore a cham-silk dust-coat over her hooded, fancloth gown, pale calf boots and a slim white belt, the ivory sa'angreal of Vora Aes Sedai tucked into its sheath. She could pull out the spiralling wand in an instant and hold it levelled at an enemy, but beyond its usefulness as a magnifier of the great Power she wielded, did not need to. She could use it to increase her strength while it stayed in the belt.
Kiam took in her surroundings, drawing a deep breath, which she released with a shudder. She had seen many a grim sight during the wars against the Renegades, and worse before that, in the War with the Shadow, but this was amongst the worst atrocities that she had witnessed… a massacre. Around an armoured jo-car, a score of Da'shain Aiel had been slaughtered and partially devoured, presumably by the slain Trollocs who lay thick on the ground about them. Kiam's dark, tilted eyes narrowed. She hated to see dead Citizens, but viewing butchered Aiel was even worse somehow – at least a Civilian had the option of fighting back, however little this might avail them against the savagery of Shadow-wrought monsters.
"Secure the perimeter, Sergeant," Kiam told an older, grizelled Warman. He touched his sword-hilt, put the other hand over his heart and bowed, before shouting orders at his men, who spread out amongst the corpses, shock-lances levelled in case any of the enemy remained in the vicinity. Though Kiam rather doubted that they did. The Lightborn was thorough.
Kiam watched her squad of Warmen as they moved forward like automatons. When their cold eyes passed over the mutilated Da'shain cadavers, their grim expressions did not alter, they failed to evince any regret... it was as though they felt nothing. Which they probably did not anymore, they were all veterans, long-inured to such sights. Kiam sighed. She respected the Warmen, but she did not particularly like them. They were not really human anymore, she considered... as a result of many years of training, indoctrination and experience, they had become living machines, engaged solely in the arts of death.
More War-Sisters and Warmen were disembarking from the other jumpers now, spreading out to check the vehicles further along the road. Kiam could see more bodies down there; mostly garbed in the grey uniforms and armour of the Paaran Disen Guard. These troops had been the first to fall to the vile Trollocs, though judging from the numerous hulking, mis-shapen corpses scattered amongst them, had given a good account of themselves before they died. Then, the twisted, Shadow-wrought creatures had moved on to easier meat.
"Lightborn?" Kiam called. He must be in the vicinity, the broad parallel slashes on the dead Trollocs were clearly his work. "Are you there?" At which; the rear door of the nearby armoured jo-car swung open just enough to allow the Lightborn to ease his head and one shoulder out. As per usual, he was garbed in the mantle and poncho of a Warman Scout. For some reason, he did not seem to want to open the door any further...
Kiam could not help but notice that the Lightborn was currently bereft of his gloves. This was unusual, for while the War-Sisters and Warmen stationed up on the Northborder were perfectly well aware of the fearsome weapons he kept beneath them – if they had not seen for themselves then they would have heard the stories whispered by others – Kiam had observed that the Lightborn was self-conscious about his hands and never went ungloved in public. Unless he had killing to do, of course. It was but one of his many idiosyncratic peculiarities...
The Lightborn nodded to her. "Hello Kiam Sedai, you got here eventually, I see…" Kiam frowned, but the Lightborn had already turned toward the Warman squad-leader. "Sergeant?" The Sergeant promptly bowed to the Lightborn. Kiam frowned. The Sergeant really should not do that… the Lightborn was a Shieldman, not an Officer. "The Da'shain... please see to it that their remains are removed." The Lightborn was not a Warman Officer and had no right to command the Sergeant, and yet he did, for all that he made it sound more request than actual order. Equally, the Sergeant knew that the Lightborn was not his ranking superior – but this made absolutely no difference, of course. As far as the Warmen were concerned, the Lightborn was something more than a mere Officer… much more. The squad-leader bowed again, slightly lower than he had to Kiam!
"Yes, Gholam-Killer, it will be done as you say," the Sergeant respectfully acknowledged, and barked further orders at his squad, who moved swiftly to do the Lightborn's bidding.
Kiam Sedai scowled, and crossed her arms.
Giving orders to my Warmen…
The Lightborn glanced at her, and smiled. "Forgive the presumption, Kiam Sedai," he apologised, "but there are children in here and I do not wish them to see…" His strange eyes moved to the dismembered corpses of the Da'shain, now being carried from sight behind a stand of chora-saplings by the Warmen, their stony faces registering nothing whilst engaged in so grisly a task. The Lightborn did not trouble to finish the sentence.
Kiam approached the armoured jo-car, looking up at the Lightborn with curiosity. "Children?"
"Yes, come and see," muttered the Lightborn, reaching out one of his powerful hands to assist Kiam up into the jo-car, then drawing it back again, uncertainly. He had never taken Kiam's hand unless gloved before, and even that but rarely… Kiam raised a delicate eyebrow, her rosebud lips forming a slight moue.
"Really, Lightborn, where are your manners? You extend a helping hand to a lady and then withdraw it?! Your 'Father' neglected to raise you properly, it would seem... which hardly surprises me, Lightborn!""
Kiam invariably named the Lightborn that to his face, had her own secretive reasons for doing so, but she also always made a point of evincing absolutely no disquiet regarding the inhuman physical attributes of which he was so seemingly ashamed. She seized the re-extended hand, gripping his thick fingers, careless of the fact that they bore sharp black claws, set a booted foot on the jo-car's rear bumper and let the Lightborn haul her up inside. He held the door open wider as he performed this action, pulling it carefully shut behind Kiam.
Within the armoured jo-car; a dozen small Aiel-children sat on the floor, looking up at the two adults framed before the closing door. And Kiam suddenly felt like weeping.
"You did not happen to see a pair of gloves lying around out there, did you?" the Lightborn was wondering, but Kiam ignored him. She approached the Aiel- children, knelt, and held out her arms. She was Aes Sedai, which meant that they loved and trusted her… Kiam was soon surrounded by sobbing Aiel-children, finally letting their grief manifest itself. Kiam hugged the small children close to her, smoothing their hair, wiping away their tears... whilst feeling more tears gathering in her own eyes. They went unshed.
N'aethan stood by the door, watching sadly. Kiam was giving the Da'shain children much-needed comfort... while all he had done was scare them with his claws before telling them a silly story! Well, he supposed he had saved their lives, though... that was the main thing.
Kiam turned, as though she had read his thoughts (N'aethan had overheard disquieting rumours that some Aes Sedai could actually do this, and sincerely hoped that Kiam was not one of them) and stared at him unreadably, the weeping Aiel-children clustered around her. She looked nice like that, N'aethan considered. Oddly motherly… though Kiam Sedai was hardly the maternal type! The Aes Sedai eyed him with glistening eyes for a long moment.
"Thank-you, Lightborn," Kiam Sedai murmured, "you have performed an honourable service this day."
N'aethan merely grinned and shrugged, his habitual response to anything bordering on praise. He was glad that he had preserved the lives of these children, very glad... but only wished that he had got there in time to save their parents…
The Warman Sergeant rapped on the door with his sword-pommel. "All clear, Gholam-Killer," he called. Kiam scowled again. The old soldier ought to know better - he should really be reporting to her!
Outside, a large troop-transport jumper had arrived to take the Aiel-children back to the safety of the Keystone Fortress, surrounded as it was by wardings, minefields and heavy shocklance emplacements. Each holding a small hand in theirs – Kiam noticed that the Aiel-children did not seem to mind the Lightborn's claws either – they led the young survivors of the ambush from the armoured jo-car and across the scorched and bloody grass, now bare of Da'shain corpses at least, though there were plenty of dead Trollocs remaining. The Aiel-children solemnly examined the slain Beastmen as they passed, some holding hands with Kiam and the Lightborn, the remainder trailing close behind. One of the children whispered to the others;
"See, the marks of Tashanda's claws..." This in reference to a dead, eagle-beaked Trolloc splayed on its back, with a particularly nasty set of parallel slices striped across its chest, the wounds filled with dark, drying Shadow-blood. Kiam's brow furrowed. Tashanda?
The transport jumper crouched on its landing-gear, more sympathetic War-Sisters waiting on board to take the Aiel-children under their wings. But the children did not embark straight away. Instead, they paused and formally bowed their heads to the Lightborn! Kiam glanced at him. He seemed embarrassed.
"Thank-you for saving us all, Nightwatcher," piped a Da'shain girl, who looked to be the oldest child, "we shall remember your promise and keep your little-covenant in our hearts!" Each of the Aiel-children then solemnly raised a finger and traced an inverted triangle in the air. After which, they turned and filed up the ramp, boarding the jumper.
The Lightborn did not immediately respond to this. He looked uncomfortable, waiting until the jumper, engines droning, began to lift with its small and precious cargo before shouting; "very well, little Da'shain, I shall watch the night and guard your sleep, perhaps even your dreams... I will do this because I said I would! But just make sure that you eat your greens!" Kiam blinked, eyeing the Lightborn with customary confusion.
"We will, Nightwatcher."
"We shall eat our vegetables."
"And be obedient, also."
Their high-pitched, childish voices faded as the heavy jumper rose into the air and soared away accross the night sky. The Lightborn watched them go, smiling ruefully.
"Little-covenant?" Kiam enquired, pointedly.
The Lightborn grinned at her, infuriatingly. "It is between them and me, Kiam Sedai," he explained apologetically, "and I am not even sure if I am included in that."
Kiam crossed her slim arms. "You excel at ambiguity, Lightborn. What transpired between you and those poor children?"
"Nothing! I just made up a story to tell them, while we awaited your arrival, and then promised that I would watch over their sleep. That is all."
Kiam could see that she would get no more information out of him on the subject. Nightwatcher? "Well, in any event, it seems that you have acquired yet another title to add to all of the others," she commented, then employed this term sardonically; "Nightwatcher!"
The Lightborn shrugged. "And will you use that name to my face now in stead, Kiam Sedai?"
"Of course I shan't! Be not absurd." Kiam smiled, an oddly warm smile for her. "I am no Aiel-child, it is not my right to speak that Name of Honour. You shall always be 'Lightborn' to me, Lightborn! See that you protect their sleep well."
Kiam glided back to her jumper. She heard the Lightborn speak, but did not turn around.
"Oh, I will Kiam Sedai, that I will…"
Kiam smiled again, but to herself this time, privately, as a secret consideration occurred to her. The Lightborn was not the only one capable of invention. Perhaps she might devise some of her own bedtime tales for the Aiel-children?